KAIQING HAUNG

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Dialogue of Self-Relationships [Installation]


Augmented Reality & Installation
January 2025


Exhibitor, Composer: Kaiqing Huang

Credit: Qiao Xiao, Xiaoqin Zhou, Duoduo Liang, Holokit

Tutors: Tongzhou Yu, Yongru Lu, Jiaming Wang

Representing: China Academy of Art, School of Design & Innovation

Organisations: Hong Kong Polytechnic University, School of Design

PolyU Research Centre for Cultural and Art Technology

PolyU-NVIDIA Joint Research Centre

INTRODUCTION

"Dialogue of Self-Relationships" was privileged to be part of the POLYVERSE Culture & Art Tech Exhibition showcasing from January 24th to February 27th, 2025. The exhibition was hosted by Hong Kong Polytechnic University, curated by Prof. Henry DUH, presenting at the Jockey Club Innovation Tower, designed by prestigious architect Zaha Hadid. In this adaptation, the original artwork was transformed from AR-powered live performance to craftsmanship installation integrating AR interaction. This transformative work represented the School of Design & Innovation in China Academy of Art, credited toward Mr. Tongzhou YU. Additionally, space and electronic devices were supported by PolyU Research Centre for Cultural and Art Technology and PolyU-NVIDIA Joint Research Centre.

Artwork video
 
EXHIBITION PHOTOGRAPHS
Jockey Club Innovation Tower at PolyU
Exhibition was held at the podium


REVIVIFICATION OF THE PERFORMANCE
Part One:
Considering the duration of the exhibition and the impracticality of inviting the live dancer to perform in this specific occasion, the creation of a model-scale stage replicating the original one, along with the establishment of a fixed "presentation station" for the audience to experience the mixed reality, has become the most feasible showcase strategy.
The "presentation station" which servers as the heart of this collective installation demonstrates the AR dancer and its corresponding visual effects on the model-scale stage, allowing audience to experience the original performance holistically. Additionally, another iPad, placed in the center of the "presentation station," provides detailed information, production process and accompany paper about original work.

"Presentation station"
Model-scale stage

Part Two:
Introducing a human-scale platform space invites the audience to immerse themselves in the interactive mixed reality. This specific mixed-reality world is the same as the performance’s counterpart spatially and functionally, empowering participants to experience the role of the real dancer in the original performance.An iPad Pro had been set up to capture the movements of participants in real time, and this ipad was connected to a 65” TV via HDMI, which allows participants to watch their interaction directly in this unique mixed-reality world. However, for the sake of long-term stable operation, the special linear visual effect that shuttles between the hands of the real human and the virtual dancer had been removed.

An ipad captures the participants’ actions
The immersive mixed-reality world involving the human-virtual interaction is transferred to the TV
Part Three:The mobile phone has been equipped with a mixed-reality program which utilizes the stereoscopic techniques developed through Holokit’s open-source project, “HoloKit Unity SDK,” on Github. (Link) When the audience plugs the iphone into the HoloKit (an AR enhancement kit) and wears it, the MR visual effects appear more immersive, engaging and intriguing. Additionally, a graphic explanation has been provided to guide the audience in using HoloKit step by step.

From left to right are HoloKit, iPhone and graphic explanation
INTERACTIONConsidering the need for stable, long-term operation, the interaction was initially removed due to its high performance demands. However, after communicating with audience members and the curatorial team, they expressed a strong willingness to see and interact with the virtual linear effects that shuttle between the hands of the real and virtual person.Therefore, this function has been reinstated and built into another program on the same iPad, allowing me to showcase these intriguing virtual interactive effects to the audience and communicators. Meanwhile, the version without this power-consuming interaction can be used for the long-term fixed exhibition.

Participants play and interact with the virtual dancer
COMMUNICATION After three days of sharing the installation artwork with people from various social backgrounds and professional fields, several comments proved invaluable and can be incorporated into future project refinements. Furthermore, thoughtful reflections emerged from these intricate journeys.

Comment One: Some believe that if the original-scale stage were fully reassembled at this exhibition, the showcase would be more impressive and moving.
Comment Two: When knowing about the music mechanism in the original performance, an audience member suggested that the gestures or movements of performance’s viewers should serve as inputs for live music changes, instead of using keyboards as the original variables in the initial performance.

Comment Three: The HoloKit should be securely mounted in a fixed position to minimize learning barriers and user inconvenience.

Discuss with curator Prof. Henry DUH
REFLECTIONSWhen sharing projects with the general public, especially those without much artistic or technical experience, the work feels inaccessible and difficult to understand. Only through detailed explanations can the audience begin to engage with it deeply. Therefore, the sense of exclusivity and implicitness should be reconsidered in the next exhibition, particularly in the format of an installation.

The visual effects after wearing the HoloKit
The ipad pro with depth detection captures the audience’s movements

CONSTRUCTION